You Don't Have One Free Weekend?!

So the big joke between my friends and I is that I have every weekend of the summer booked. Booked as in I have no room to make plans with anyone b/c everything is already planed out. I don't think anyone else I know is like this expect Rudy...which is why we have to "pencil" each other in before she even gets home from Spain! I don't exactly know how this happened. Back in June I was trying to find a date to go to an amusement park with a group of friends...but once I started writing the dates down...I realized I had only one Saturday free, and that would entail me coming home from the beach!

This weekend started off what will now be a jam-packed rest of the summer. It was so nice to see the VA crew. A year and a half ago I feel like I was in VA every single weekend.....those days are no longer (can you blame me...look at the cost of gas?!?! I seriously pumped regular for $4.26 over the weekend!) So it was nice to see a few of them on Saturday...including Aya who should just move home...who the hell likes Jersey?! I should try and make it out more often.

So from VA I drive into D.C to go to this show for the Belly Dancing class that Farida and I are taking. Never again am I going to drive to Dupont and a Saturday night, NEVER AGAIN. I kid you not when I say I drove around for an hour and a half and ended up calling Farida to come out b/c I had missed everything and there was no place for me to park!

She jumps in the car and we make our way to Baltimore (Yes, I went from Columbia to VA to DC to Baltimore and back to Columbia all in one day...and I really wonder why my gas tank is always on E) for a show at Metro Gallery. Although this wouldn’t be my typical kind of crowd I really enjoyed. Abhishek Basu was playing with the band Telesma that night. He is one of the most famous tabla players in India...and it was pretty damn amazing how he came in and played with the band as if he had been doing it for years. I always meet the weirdest people in Baltimore I mean REALLY WEIRD. Weird like let's hold hands and pray together weird...but again it might have just been the show we were at. I just think I'm a D.C kind of girl...it all goes back to the Redskins what can I say?

By far the best part of the weekend was seeing John Mayer live. Now this was very much my crowd, my music, my everything and I loved every second of it. I have Laila to thank for being the first person to get me into John Mayer. She gave me my first John Mayer CD, and there was no turning back.

I had been looking forward to this show for the past two months. I wake up Sunday morning and realize they were calling for rain. Most people would complain about this, I on the other hand couldn't have been happier. I have recently found a new love for rain. I just love the sound and the way it feels, so I didn't even think to bring an umbrella or poncho unlike the hundreds of people sitting around me. I can't lie I did scream like a baby while we were waiting in line to get in b/c the lightning was so loud and so bright across the sky. I really didn’t feel like getting hit by lighting to see John Mayer, as Farida put it...he's not worth it! The thunder eventually calmed down before he came on and I can't tell you how awesome it was standing out in the POURING rain, with my feet in the soaking wet grass, drenched to the bone jamming out to some of my favorite songs.

Songs I enjoyed most:
Waiting on the World to Change
I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
Bigger Than My Body
Belief
Gravity

(You can check out the whole set list at John Mayer 2008 Summer Tour)

But by far the highlight of my night was, Slow Dancing In a Burning Room, I almost cried it was so amazing.

Towards the end of the show he reaches down and takes a camera from a girl in the front row. He then takes a self-portrait of himself and then a picture of the girl he took the camera from. I just don't feel like people really do stuff like that anymore. It's like their in and out and call it a day. I saw Red Hot at Verizon Center on their last tour and I was so pissed. They played for ONLY AN HOUR and didn't play any old school music. I think artists forget that their fans make them who they are, and I was happy to see John Mayer still gets that.

He thought it would be a good idea to come out for an encore with no shirt on, I thought so to ;)

He closed the show just jamming on his guitar and letting the crowd know, "It's always ok, there's always a way to feel alright". Couldn't have put it better myself…it was just a nice positive way to end the show. For some people music is something that always makes you feel like it’s gonna be alright. It’s amazing that a few melodies and some words strung together can make you believe that person is living your own life. I didn't think I was gonna enjoy a show more then I did DMB...but I did. This was the first but not that last time I will see Mr. Mayer.

The summer more then half way over, and I wish I had a pause button. I already know the coming weeks are gonna be crazy/fun/relaxing/busy all in one.

Next stop on my summer concert tour: Maroon Five (MAYBE) that is if Bayan does not kill me for going to a concert the night before her wedding...when I'm gonna need to be up helping her the next morning haha. We shall see.
This time next week I'll be on the beach for 6 days straight getting some well needed sun and reading good books....I can't wait

You Rock My World

I have the best friends on the face of the earth, Alhamdulilah. I am so lucky and blessed to have so many people in my life who truly love and care about me with all their heart. Some I have known my whole life, some I have just met in the past few years. My words could never express to you how amazing you all are, and what you have done for me esp. in the past few months. I can say without hesitation that there are so many of you I could call at 3:00am just b/c and you would answer, let me talk, and then tell me to go back to sleep ;)

Not everyone gets the chance in life to build friendships like this. My word of advise is if and when you find people like this, never let them go...regardless of the stupid fights or disagreements, regardless if some of your beliefs differ, regardless if you sometimes don't see eye to eye (you can't expect people to be just like you, it will never happen) b/c people like this are hard to come by.

I find it amazing that I have friends I have known my whole life. These girls are like sisters to me. If you look at each of us, we are so different in so many ways, yet by some grace of God we have found a way to make it work. We have found a way to build bonds that transcend friendship. I would give my right arm for any of them.

From the depths of my heart, thank you for all you do. Thank you for making me laugh "I curse the day he was born", thank you for buying me a replacement bear when it was hard to throw away my other one, thank you for being my stand-in BF and calling me before/after work, thank you for pushing me to take Bar classes, thank you for standing up for me, thank you for recommending good books, thank you for coming home even though you didn't have to, thank you for coffee nights, concerts, summer fun and thank you for helping me realize what kind of person I really am and how much I have to look forward to. You have let me lean on you when I needed it the most and I couldn't be more grateful.

You All Rock My World

Ok on to the next thing, now that I'm done gushing my heart out (I know I know, I just can't help!). It seems I found a new love for reading Blogs. When I mentioned this to Farida the other night, she told me to check out John Mayers Blog (Um ya I can't wait to see him live on Sunday night, look out for a follow up Blog) and so I did. I came across this entry and loved it. I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

from the heart....03/27 by JM

I need to write this.

I've been traveling alone in Japan for the better part of three weeks now, and it's been so remarkable an experience for me that I can't book a ticket home yet. I haven't spoken very much out loud these days, but I've been thinking to myself in what feels like surround sound. I can see so many things clearly, and feel so connected to myself and the world around me that I need to share the perspective with you.

I'm already aware that when I sing, say or write anything, 50 percent of the response will be in support of it and the other 50 will want to discount it. This blog, though, is directed to 100 percent of people reading it. If my blog truly does have any cultural effect, then it should be used for more than just pictures of sneakers and funny youtube videos. (If you don't think my blog has any effect, than you can't by definition be reading this right now and therefore don't have to respond to it in any way. Isn't that tidy?)

What I'm about to write isn't about fame or success or celebrity or the media. That's my business.

This is about us all.

This is about a level of self-consciousness so high in my generation, that it's actually toxic.

This is about the girl in her bedroom who poses in front of the camera she's awkwardly holding in her outstretched hand. She'll take a hundred photos until coming up with one she's happy with, which inevitably looks nothing like her, and after she's done poring over images of herself, will post one on her myspace page and then write something like " I don't give a f*ck what you think about me."

This is about the person trying out for American Idol, who while going off about how confident they are that they were born ready to sing in front of the world, are trembling so badly they can hardly breathe.

This is about me, the guy who walks through a throng of photographers into a restaurant like he's Paul Newman, but who leaves a "reject" pile of clothes in his closet so high that his cleaning lady can't figure out how one man can step into so many pairs of pants in a week.

This is about a young guy who maintains a celebrity blog that subsists on tearing other people down but who has wrestled with a lifelong battle for acceptance as a gay man.

This is about us all. Every one of us. Who all seem to know deep down that it's incredibly hard to be alive and interact with the world around us but will try and cover it up at any cost. For as badass and unaffected as we try to come off, we're all just one sentence away from being brought to the edge of tears, if only it was worded right. And I don't want to act immune to that anymore. I took the biggest detour from myself over the past year, since I decided that I wasn't going to care about what people thought about me. I got to the point where I had so much padding on that, sure, I couldn't feel the negativity, but that's because I couldn't feel much of anything. And I think I'm done with that.

I'm not the first person to admit we're all self conscious, Kanye was. But what I want to do is to shed a little light on why we're all in the same boat, no matter the shape of the life we lead: because every one of us were told since birth that we were special. We were spoken to by name through a television. We were promised we could be anything that we wanted to be, if only we believed it and then, faster than we saw coming, we were set loose into the world to shake hands with the millions of other people who were told the exact same thing.

And really? Really? It turns out we're just not all that special, when you break it down. Beautifully unspectacular, actually. And that truth is going to catch up with us whether we want to run from it or not. The paparazzo following me to the gym ain't gonna be Herb Ritts and the guy he's following ain't gonna be Bob Dylan. It's just a matter of how old you are once you embrace that fact. And for me, 30 sounds about right.

What now, then? I can only really say for myself: Enjoy who I am, the talents and the liabilities. Stop acting careless. In fact, care more. Be vulnerable but stay away from where it hurts. Read. See more shows. Of any kind. Rock shows, art shows, boat shows. Create more art. Wear hoodies to dinner. Carry a notebook and hand it to people when they passionately recommend something and ask them to write it down for me.

Root for others.

Give more and expect the same in return, but over time.

Act nervous when I'm nervous, puzzled when I don't know what the hell to do, and smile when it all goes my way. And never in any other order than that. And when it's all over, whether at the end of this fabulous career or of this life, which I hope takes place at the same time, I should look back and say that I had it good and I made the most of it while I was able. And so should you.

I'm going quiet now.

John

Even The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You

Change, it seems to be a word I think of often these days. I find it crazy how much things can change from day to day, week to week, year to year. You really just never know what could happen.

About a month ago, I happen to be in a sitting with a bunch of girls who were much younger then me. The girls ranged from 13-15 and I couldn’t help but listen in on the conversation they were having. I held my tongue for as long as I could, but there came a time where I knew I had to step in. One of the girls is going into the 9th grade, which means she is 14 years old at the most. She was talking to her friends about how she already took some highschool classes and wanted to graduate at 16 so she could get married. At the sound of this my head spun around so fast I thought it was going to fall off.

**Note: In our culture you are some what brainwashed to think you have to get married as young as possible. I would like to say most parents these days don’t encourage this until their daughters are well educated and finish college. This is the responsible and smart thing for every parent to do, but regardless from the time a girl is 5 years old all they hear about is marriage this and marriage that. By the time they are 25 they better have the ball rolling or they are in big “trouble”. Yes, it's stupid I know...but it's the truth**

I was pleased that all her friends thought this statement was a bit crazy, as they all asked her about going to college. She then starts in on a rant about how "hard" life is and at this point I start my classic eye rolling, I couldn’t believe she was serious. I looked this young girl straight in the eyes and tell her how much she is going to laugh at herself when she thinks of this time in her life 10 years from now. Not even 10 years...3 years from now!

I know at every age we all go through something that makes us think the world is going to end. I know better then anyone else, because as much as I hate to admit it I can be a bit dramatic (agh that's really hard for me to say, but I guess that's part of the new me...facing my lovely flaws…but I like to look at it as I’m just a passionate person!). I remember being 15 years old and thinking that every issue I ran into was so important, only later to find how silly it all was because at the end of the day NONE of it mattered. I'm not so sure I will be able to do the same when I look back at this point of my life. Rather then think my issues are silly, I'm sure I will realize that everything happens for a reason even if you don't know it at the time.

It's frightening how much you change as a young adult. I remember being 18 and having numerous conversations on marriage with my other 18 year old friends. I once again LAUGH at the idea that we ever thought we were ready for that at such a young age. I don't think people realize how much they truly change and grow from 18-20, 20-23, 23-25. Each of these years are filled with things that mold us into the people we will become: college, internships, making new friends, moving, jobs, traveling, and so on. I feel like you kind of sell yourself out, if you don't get the chance to really understand who you are before promising your life to someone else. Each year I surprise myself, because although my core values don't change many of my perceptions on life do.

What bothers me even more then what I have stated above, is when you think you know someone but you never really do. You form friendships, you meet people whom you love deeply...but little by little they become someone else, and accepting them for that person becomes extremely difficult because they no longer possess the qualities that made you love them in the first place.

I use to be a person who advocated the idea of getting married at a young age, but the more time goes by the more I realize what a bad idea this is unless you truly are one of the most mature 20 year olds on the face of the earth.

Really random, I know…but just my thoughts for today.

Hope everyone had an awesome 4th of July.... I’m happy to say I had a better one then 2007...at least it didn’t end in tears and that was the goal!

So it looks like I might be on a role when it comes to updating this thing, I don't want to jinx myself! Let's see how long I keep it up.

Picture Prefect Memory

This is a blessing and curse all in one. Alhamdulilah I have a really good memory. It's really hard for me to forget things especially when it comes to people I love. I still remember the day I met Farida and I was only 7 years old! I remember her coming over with her family for the first time and spending the night because we didn't want to stop playing.

I remember the first night I met Bayan at a Ramadan dinner, not having a clue what kind of friendship would grow throughout the next two years. I remember the first time I really had a conversation with Rudy while manning an AAI table and falling in love with her amazing personality and love for life. I remember so many insane moments Nana and I shared growing up, having no idea how drastically our lives would change 10 years down the road. I remember my first day of college when I ran into Saadia (who I hated in a pervious life haha) again not knowing we would later form the C-Unit and I would be bridesmaid at her wedding. I remember family vacations, birthday, weddings, first loves, crazy high school/college times and so much more.

The issue with this is that sometimes I want to forget. Sometime my picture perfect memory gets the best of me and I am overwhelmed with sadness when I remember old friends or people I have shared amazing things with who are no longer part of my life. No matter how hard I would like to forget, I can't.

Bayan and I had this conversation the other day, because she never remembers anything...and I was shocked at how different our outlooks are. There are seriously some moments in life I could never forget. I could tell you where I was, what I was doing, what the people were wearing and most defiantly the year and month it happened. I know, its sick! Some people can only remember really important memories, but what seems to be a big deal to me is not such a big deal to others. Sometimes I think it's going to be the death of me. My Mom will forever tell people not to argue with me when it comes to old memories because I will always be right! (Sarah is always right, that has a ring to it)

I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind a few weeks ago. For those of you who don't know the movie is about a couple that undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship goes bad, but soon come to find "You can erase someone from your mind. Getting them out of your heart is another story."

There are so many people who have walked in and out of my life but have left a lasting impression, there are others who have walked in and out of my life who I would like to erase but I have come to learn at the end of the day our memories makes us who we are and you can't change the past. So going forward I wont try to forget old memories but rather realize how lucky am I to be able to hold on to so much. I will cherish the good and learn from the bad and will hopefully be a better person for it.

The Bar

No, not the kind you grab a drink at...

I have lucked out by having a fitness crazed friend who is forever introducing me to new and improved workout and health plans. So when she told me she had signed us up for what seems to be the most recent trend in L.A and New York I was all for it. Little did I know what I was getting myself into when I walked into my first Bar Method Class.....

To say I wanted to die half way through would be an understatement. Who knew such little movements could be so effective! The Bar Method seeks to stretch every major muscle group, and oh boy does it!

I am currently working with a trainer twice a week and taking a dance class once a week, none of the those do me in the same way as Bar. When done with the 60min workout you walk out feeling like you used every part of body. This is the kind of workout that tricks you into thinking you deserve a big treat when your done (like a big piece of chocolate cake!).

Don't be fooled by the name, you don't need any formal dance training to take part in this class, the main focus is to use the bar as a tool to work ever damn bone in your body including: arms, legs, calf (killer), abs (soooooo killer!), back, thigh, butt etc.

Well I'm happy to say I lived through the experience and will now be going back to the class every other week. If anyone of you girls in the DC area (or guys, but you might be the only one there haha) are interested let me know! It's worth a try and if your up for really pushing yourself. They say with time it gets easier..I sure hope so.